Allow me to convey to all members of the United Nations family the warm greetings and best wishes of His Majesty King Mswati III, Her Majesty the Indlovukazi, the Government and, indeed, the entire Swazi nation. The Kingdom of Swaziland congratulates you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of this session. We are especially proud that a fellow African has been elected to that demanding position, and we are confident that your diplomatic skill and experience will help you to lead the Assembly towards a successful conclusion of its deliberations. In the aftermath of 11 September 2001, the world is understandably preoccupied with the question of security and the war on terror. The Kingdom of Swaziland continues to condemn, in no uncertain terms, terrorism which constantly threatens world peace, security and stability. As part of our support for the alliance against terrorism, the Government of Swaziland is currently studying the United Nations conventions that deal with terrorism, to ensure not only the adaptation of such important conventions, but also compliance with them. The Parliament of the Kingdom of Swaziland will be debating, and will hopefully pass, its long-awaited anti-terrorism bill during its next session. Future world stability is also threatened by the continuing spread of weapons of mass destruction. Our failure as an Organization in that regard thus far is due to inability to agree on a time frame suitable to all Members for arms control and nuclear disarmament. The Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT) were designed as an essential first step towards a world free from the danger that such weapons pose. We clearly need to find a way to strengthen the non-proliferation regime and to prevent the flow of conventional weapons and anti-personnel landmines into zones of conflicts or into the hands of terrorists. The Kingdom of Swaziland therefore calls upon the Conference on Disarmament to implement the proposal of the Non-Aligned Movement by establishing, as its highest priority, an ad hoc committee to begin negotiations on a programme for the complete and time-bound elimination of nuclear weapons from those countries that have them. While the possibility of global conflict has diminished since the end of the cold war era, it is a fact that there has been a corresponding increase in the incidence of internal conflicts and cross-border disturbances, arising from a variety of causes, including ethnic and religious confrontation. The situation in the Middle East is inevitably at the centre of the debate on peace and security. The Kingdom of Swaziland pledges the continuation of our support for all initiatives and efforts aimed at resolving that situation and at bringing peace and stability to the Middle East. We sincerely believe that the vital role of the United Nations continues to be critical to the resolution of the Middle East conflict. The creation of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and the great strides that have been taken in the past two years, are a clear indication that we are moving in the right direction. We are convinced that, with the support of the international community and in the spirit of the true partnership that is demonstrated by mutual respect, we shall succeed in our objectives, initiatives and efforts to raise the living standards of our peoples. We have placed our trust in NEPAD to be the vehicle for that shift away from the underdevelopment and conflict of the past by addressing the fundamental root causes of our problems. The ongoing integration of our initiatives and programmes within the African continent will make possible sustainability and true growth in our economies. Together, in unity of purpose, we shall succeed. In that regard, we welcome the establishment by the Secretary-General of the Advisory Panel on International Support for NEPAD, which will, in our view, help us to be more effective in our efforts to promote Africa’s development. Our united effort is also addressing the conflicts that continue to threaten peace, stability and security on the African continent. We realize that, without those elements, our development goals will continue to elude us, especially because, apart from resources that are wasted on arms, our people can be productive and be able to trade among themselves and with the rest of the 22 world only under conditions of peace, stability and security. The establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union is a landmark event in our efforts to manage our conflicts. In particular, allow me to single out for commendation Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his tireless efforts to highlight and address African problems. We look forward to the complete resolution of the dispute in Somalia, and in particular to the resolution of the dispute in the Darfur region of the Sudan. The complex challenges facing the world today lend greater significance and urgency to initiatives for the reform of our Organization. The Kingdom of Swaziland believes that those reforms are essential if the United Nations is to retain the global credibility and authority that are so necessary to its operations. Our aim must be to transform the Organization into a structure that is truly representative of all Members and that is transparent and efficient in its operations, while remaining consistent with the purposes and objectives of our founding Charter. We believe that achieving balanced representation in the principal organs of the United Nations should be a priority. In that regard, we support an increase in both permanent and non-permanent seats in the Security Council. The Security Council in particular requires reform in order to strengthen its legitimacy. Its composition must reflect the plurality and diversity of the membership of the United Nations, to recognize the profound geopolitical changes that have taken place in recent history. However, due to a lack of political will on the part of some Members to increase the membership of the Security Council, progress in the reform agenda remains unattainable. Turning now to the question of development, we believe that the Millennium Declaration marked a turning point in carrying out the mission unanimously entrusted to the United Nations in the area of sustainable development. Indeed, for the first time, heads of State or Government agreed on specific goals and targets in the social, economic and educational fields, up to the year 2015. In our view, the leaders were correct to make the related topics of peace, security, development and poverty eradication priorities to be addressed, because future world stability depends on the ability of national Governments to increase the momentum for economic development and their capacity to improve the delivery of job creation and essential services such as health and education. Developing countries have been facing special difficulties in responding to the challenges brought about by globalization. As a result, many developing countries, especially the least developed ones, have remained marginalized in the globalizing world economy. Consequently, the benefits of globalization are unevenly distributed. In that regard, the Kingdom of Swaziland believes that in order to maximize the benefits of globalization, the process of integration into the world economy should take into account the level of economic development of each country and the capacity of its institutions and enterprises. In particular, specific national development potentials and socio-economic circumstances, as well as differing initial conditions relating to size, resource endowments, economic structure and location, should be considered. It is also necessary to take into account the specific development, financial and trade needs of developing countries, in view of the fact that there can be no one-size-fits-all trade development strategy. I believe that I speak on behalf of many from the developing world when I say that small economies are not receiving fair treatment in global trade. The proposed removal of preferential terms for our agricultural products and the continuation of subsidies for such products from the developed world is bound to deal a fatal blow to many of our weak economies. We request understanding and appreciation of our situation by our developed partners. We are asking for a partnership that will take into account our unique situations as developing economies so that we can participate effectively in the global market. For our part, as small economies, we pledge quality and high standards for our products. Our farmers are more than ready to deliver the best to international markets. It should be noted that agricultural incomes are the cornerstone of development for our rural communities. For our part in the Kingdom of Swaziland, poverty alleviation remains the number-one priority. Sixty-six per cent of our people are living below the internationally recognized poverty line, yet our classification as a lower-middle-income country prevents our access to many of the funds and resources that are available to those in different categories. We will be working with the United Nations to ensure that this situation is corrected. 23 In the meantime, we are focusing our efforts and available resources on programmes that meet the challenges of poverty in a sustainable and equitable manner. Our national development strategy, which is the result of direct consultation with all stakeholders, has incorporated all eight priority United Nations Millennium Development Goals so as to provide us with a blueprint for government action towards achieving the vision of improving the livelihood of our people by 2022. Despite all our best efforts and our limited success in many areas, we are restricted in our capacity to meet our objectives due to a multitude of problems that are affecting us simultaneously and that we cannot overcome on our own. As is the case with all developing countries, we are particularly at risk in times of global economic difficulties and are particularly vulnerable to disease and to the effects of changing weather patterns. Weakening our efforts to meet our development challenges is the threat posed by multiple health hazards, including malaria and tuberculosis, but especially HIV/AIDS. AIDS continues to claim the lives of many of our people. No sector of development has been spared the ravaging impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with enormous strain placed on our financial and human resources as we make the required interventions. We are attacking the enemy on various fronts, with priority on prevention, care, counselling and treatment. Our National Emergency Response Committee has had some success with regard to home- based and community-based care for those already ill as a result of infection. Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing an exodus of qualified nurses, who are being employed in the developed world. The exodus has adversely affected our capacity-building efforts. That exodus, together with other wider impacts of HIV/AIDS, has dealt our economy a heavy blow. The Kingdom of Swaziland continues to make the welfare of children a priority in our development strategy. In that regard, both the Government and the private sector, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have responded with zeal and determination to the plight of orphans and other vulnerable children, resulting from the effects of the pandemic. The Government is providing bursaries for such children in order to ensure that their education is not disrupted. The Government and the business community, in partnership with NGOs, are providing school feeding schemes in order to improve their nutritional balance. We are also using our traditional structures to cater for their material and emotional needs; this includes the provision of local reporting structures to prevent the abuse of those children. The chiefdoms also provide fields where communities grow food for orphans and other vulnerable children. Let me take this opportunity to express the most profound gratitude of the entire Swazi nation to the United Nations and to all our development partners for the support we continue to receive as we face that killer disease. The support we have received from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria continues to prop up and sustain our programmes and strategies in our fight against this scourge. Fellow members, we shall be forever grateful to you all. The Kingdom of Swaziland is fully committed to the principles of good governance and the rule of law. The nation has just completed debating the Kingdom’s draft constitution, and the draft will soon be submitted to Parliament for final consideration before the end of this year. For more than 30 years, the Kingdom of Swaziland has been enjoying excellent relations with a nation which, despite an outstanding record in international development assistance and despite fulfilling every requirement for membership in the Organization, is nonetheless excluded from participation in the activities of the United Nations. I am referring here to the issue of the 23 million people of the Republic of China on Taiwan, who are denied the right to contribute to the global initiatives undertaken by this world body. The Government and the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan have made enormous advances in economic, social and political terms, and they have shown themselves ready and able to share their experience and advice with all the nations of the world. The Kingdom of Swaziland, therefore, proposes to the Assembly that the time has come to revisit this issue so as to ensure the inclusion of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the activities of the United Nations and its associated agencies. In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to express the deep gratitude of His Majesty the King, the Indlovukazi, the Government and the people of Swaziland to the United Nations and 24 its agencies for the many programmes of assistance undertaken in the Kingdom of Swaziland since our independence. We believe that the United Nations, as the only truly global Organization, remains the only hope for overcoming the many complex challenges facing the world today. Despite the setbacks, and despite the obstacles to achieving our collective aims, there can be no doubt that the world could be a more troubled place without the combined efforts of all of us. The Kingdom of Swaziland, therefore, takes great pride in reaffirming our commitment to the principles and ideals set out in the Charter, and we ask Almighty God to watch over and guide us in the challenging times ahead for our Organization.